December 4, 2024
Music and Healing in Science and Practice
Elizabeth Margulis
Princeton Professor and Director of the Music Cognition Lab
and
Dasha Koltunyuk
Outreach Manager, Princeton University Concerts
Music and Healing in Science and Practice
Elizabeth Margulis
Princeton Professor and Director of the Music Cognition Lab
and
Dasha Koltunyuk
Outreach Manager, Princeton University Concerts
Dasha Koltunyuk, Elizabeth Margulis, and Anne Seltzer, introducer
Minutes of the 12th Meeting of the 83rd Year
President George Bustin called the meeting to order.
There were 104 attendees, including 4 guests of Anne Seltzer:
Debbie Rhoades, Alexis Branagan, Marna Seltzer, Greg Kallor.
Membership chair Teri Lemischka called for a vote on the 10 candidates for membership: Lynn Aylward, Anders H. Boss, Charles W. Bushnell, Susan Chermak, Scott E. Eder, Steven Goldstein, Mark B. Loizeaux, Douglas F. Megill, Richard Meyer, and Rodney L. Rickman. The vote was unanimous, all were accepted.
Stephen Silverman read the minutes of the previous meeting.
Anne Seltzer introduced the speakers, Dasha Koltunyuk, the Outreach Manager for the Princeton University Concerts, and Elizabeth Margulis, Professor of Music and Director of the Music Cognition Lab at Princeton University.
Ms. Koltunyuk began the presentation by sharing her deeply personal journey of music as a source of healing and resilience, reflecting on pivotal moments throughout her life. Music's impact began in utero, with her mother attending concerts while on bed rest in Odessa, Ukraine. This connection strengthened during childhood in Brooklyn, where music served as both a distraction and a source of comfort in challenging moments, like playing the violin while stuck in an elevator. As a teenager, music provided strength during a battle with bone cancer, highlighted by a memorable performance of Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto before a major surgery.
This bond with music evolved over the years, including academic exploration of music’s transformative power and professional engagement with Princeton University Concerts. During a painful recovery from an infected hip prosthesis, a lullaby composed by her husband provided solace, illustrating music's capacity to transcend physical and emotional pain. Inspired by these experiences, the speaker along with Marna Seltzer, the Director of the Princeton University Concerts, created the “Healing with Music” series.
This initiative showcases musicians who reflect on music’s transformative role during illness, grief, and global challenges by integrating live performances, discussions, and personal narratives. Clemency Burton-Hill reflected on her recovery from a brain aneurysm, cellist Joshua Roman shared his journey with long-COVID, and pianist Fred Hersch discussed living with HIV. Other artists, like Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, addressed global issues, using their art to respond to events like the refugee crisis. The series fosters audience engagement by inspiring real-world actions, such as a bone marrow donor drive and raising funds for Syrian refugees.
These efforts illustrate music as not just an art form, but a lifeline that transforms lives and connects communities. Ms. Koltunyuk concluded her talk with a video showcasing the Dance for PD (Parkinsons Disease) program, a vivid example of music’s therapeutic potential in action.
Elizabeth Margulis followed with some examples of how cognitive science is being used to more fully understand music’s power.
Professor Margulis explained the different approaches that cognitive scientists might take to research what it takes to track a beat. For example, one might ask who can do it and what they have in common. Or one might examine the neurological responses in the brain.
MRI studies have shown that that our auditory and motor systems are very tightly connected, that just listening to music with a beat triggers the brain’s motor network even though no movement is involved.
Two important theories have evolved, each with significant real-world applications:
And the research continues.
Respectfully submitted,
Marsha Levin-Rojer
There were 104 attendees, including 4 guests of Anne Seltzer:
Debbie Rhoades, Alexis Branagan, Marna Seltzer, Greg Kallor.
Membership chair Teri Lemischka called for a vote on the 10 candidates for membership: Lynn Aylward, Anders H. Boss, Charles W. Bushnell, Susan Chermak, Scott E. Eder, Steven Goldstein, Mark B. Loizeaux, Douglas F. Megill, Richard Meyer, and Rodney L. Rickman. The vote was unanimous, all were accepted.
Stephen Silverman read the minutes of the previous meeting.
Anne Seltzer introduced the speakers, Dasha Koltunyuk, the Outreach Manager for the Princeton University Concerts, and Elizabeth Margulis, Professor of Music and Director of the Music Cognition Lab at Princeton University.
Ms. Koltunyuk began the presentation by sharing her deeply personal journey of music as a source of healing and resilience, reflecting on pivotal moments throughout her life. Music's impact began in utero, with her mother attending concerts while on bed rest in Odessa, Ukraine. This connection strengthened during childhood in Brooklyn, where music served as both a distraction and a source of comfort in challenging moments, like playing the violin while stuck in an elevator. As a teenager, music provided strength during a battle with bone cancer, highlighted by a memorable performance of Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto before a major surgery.
This bond with music evolved over the years, including academic exploration of music’s transformative power and professional engagement with Princeton University Concerts. During a painful recovery from an infected hip prosthesis, a lullaby composed by her husband provided solace, illustrating music's capacity to transcend physical and emotional pain. Inspired by these experiences, the speaker along with Marna Seltzer, the Director of the Princeton University Concerts, created the “Healing with Music” series.
This initiative showcases musicians who reflect on music’s transformative role during illness, grief, and global challenges by integrating live performances, discussions, and personal narratives. Clemency Burton-Hill reflected on her recovery from a brain aneurysm, cellist Joshua Roman shared his journey with long-COVID, and pianist Fred Hersch discussed living with HIV. Other artists, like Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, addressed global issues, using their art to respond to events like the refugee crisis. The series fosters audience engagement by inspiring real-world actions, such as a bone marrow donor drive and raising funds for Syrian refugees.
These efforts illustrate music as not just an art form, but a lifeline that transforms lives and connects communities. Ms. Koltunyuk concluded her talk with a video showcasing the Dance for PD (Parkinsons Disease) program, a vivid example of music’s therapeutic potential in action.
Elizabeth Margulis followed with some examples of how cognitive science is being used to more fully understand music’s power.
Professor Margulis explained the different approaches that cognitive scientists might take to research what it takes to track a beat. For example, one might ask who can do it and what they have in common. Or one might examine the neurological responses in the brain.
MRI studies have shown that that our auditory and motor systems are very tightly connected, that just listening to music with a beat triggers the brain’s motor network even though no movement is involved.
Two important theories have evolved, each with significant real-world applications:
- Dynamic Attending Theory shows that in response to a periodic pattern, we will selectively attend to the time points that match that beat and, additionally, that synchronous music has an important impact on our relationships, even to the extent to which we might be inclined to offer someone help.
- Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation shows that music can promote controlled movements and is now being used in clinical settings to improve the gait of stroke victims and those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.
And the research continues.
Respectfully submitted,
Marsha Levin-Rojer